We’re only a day away from the launch of the Starship spacecraft of SpaceX. The spaceship will have its orbital debut tomorrow, April 20. SpaceX even allows the public to admire the launch due to a live streaming event via Space.com.
In recent years, SpaceX has reached a few important milestones. For instance, the space agency has sent astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), sent the Falcon 9 rocket into the sky, built a huge satellite constellation in order to provide internet connectivity to more and more remote regions of the world, and so on.
Here’s what Maxar officials recently wrote in a tweet:
Today’s #satellite image (April 17, 2023) of the @SpaceX Boca Chica launch facilities in Texas with a view of the #Starship and Super Heavy rocket on the launch pad. Today’s scheduled launch of the most powerful rocket ever constructed was scrubbed. Stay tuned!
Thankfully, the Starship spacecraft of SpaceX can be admired from far away in space thanks to a new photo. Here’s the proof:
Today’s #satellite image (April 17, 2023) of the @SpaceX Boca Chica launch facilities in Texas with a view of the #Starship and Super Heavy rocket on the launch pad. Today’s scheduled launch of the most powerful rocket ever constructed was scrubbed. Stay tuned! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/VHCgrFig6m
— Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) April 17, 2023
Starship as seen from 10,500ft!
Gallery at https://t.co/l5nZ12tVTO@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/6GMOOcU057— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) April 17, 2023
There are a few reasons behind the upcoming launch of the Starship spacecraft of SpaceX into space. The main goal is to enable human settlement on other planets. And yes, Mars, we’re looking at you!
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft might even revolutionize space travel closer to home. The spacecraft has a somewhat reusable nature, which means that the cost of launching payloads into space would be significantly reduced.
Garrett Reisman, who’s a professor of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California, said more about Musk’s ambitions, as the BBC quotes:
He sees Starship as potentially another giant paradigm shift, an incredible increase in capability – the capability to truly bring people on large scale to Mars,
There’s a lot of potential benefit, but there’s also a lot of potential risk because this is very difficult. Nobody’s built a rocket anywhere near this big – twice as big as the next nearest thing.
Let’s not also forget about the potential for commercial applications when we’re talking about the impending launch of the Starship spacecraft. Starship might be used in the future for purposes such as space tourism, satellite servicing, and more.
